The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-11-10
TRAVELLING COMBINATIONS.


The Intsrstate Commerce Bin Does Not
Mako Much Change.
Somebody who knows II al solemnly
announced in the newspapers soon after
the passage Of the interstate commerce
act that one Of the results would be to
break up the travelling combinations. It
was argued, with a show Of reason, that
these companies were not clearing any
more money before the act passed than
was needed to sustain them; that they
were receiving special rates from the
railroads, which mark Of favor was for
bidden by the act to be longer extended;
and that the effect Of requiring them to
pxy % much a. other people would be to
stop them from travelling altogether. Well,
the interstate commerce act went
into operation, and lol the travelling
company 10 abroad in the land, even -
Of yore.
There seems a. yet no disposition to
return to the old stock company whose
disappearance We are inclined to regret.
There was . charm, about the familiar
faces and voices Of the stock COM
pany seen and heard week after week
and season after season in al sorts
Of roles which made up NO small part Of
the pleasure Of theatre-going, and which
travelling combinations can lay no claim
to. There were, II ID true, the inevitable
shortcomings Of Monday night; but,
then, there was the temptation to 60
again on Wednesday or Friday to see
how much everybody had improved. The
appreciative auditor took friendly
interest In the artist and in the success
Of biz Efforts 70 adapt himself to his part;
And the actor, conscious Of personal
criticism In the thoughts Of many Of the
spectators, was encouraged to infuse
fresh vigof into his impersonation with
every performance. All this threw an
attrsctiveness around the theatre inde-
pendent OF the merits Of the pieces, and
made Of places like our old Museum"
and Holiday Street." % It were, down
town homes Of the people, where some
members Of big family undertook to
entertain the rest.
For this the alleged progress Of modern
times has substituted the snowy
merits Of the travelling combination. It
ID idle to deny that these are great, Of
their kind. IN the first place, the scenery,
when not too plainly suffering from the
vicissitudes Of travel, 10 in perfect keep
ing and pleasant to the eye. 1t is exc
cuted by able painters, and made, a. .
rule, especially for the play. As
much may be said for the cos
TUNES. The company h mot al
ways Of uniform excellence, though
the principal part b usually well played.
But againSt the best production Of this
kind lt may be most effectively urged
that it IL machine-made. BY dint Of
repeating the same lines over and over
and over again, and going through pre-
cisely the same business many hundred
timeA mechanical precision and eccu-
racy are uuQueetionably attained
q ~ ct outomatons moved By wtree
under The control Of clockwoEk
W0uN ~ b more certain 70 cay and do
the right thing q exactly the right mo-
ment. IL II In The power Of 3 Cushman or
3 Booth 70 resist tie fnNuence Of constant
iteratioa, and throw IN ever ffeeh inspi-
ration Into oft-repeated lines but trsy-
eltng ooupanies aro not nado up OF
Cu66mans and Hooths; and while we
may admire the work Of automAtons, Il
can never thrill ~ with The true dramatic
Rat vhat hcps i tisrs Of : sstasn TO
~ good old etock-coqpa1y eyeteuf
HPSo4yeed = ~ ptlnniple q ~ Day.
Up III eR doWp hid deee npt mach lit-
~. IN aRoet polnt y - tSeo noy1ng,.
80 ~ h - M ~ ~